"Gad, but the old boy's proud of that chariot," said Sir Matthew Bray,
mystifying his sight by using an eyeglass.
"Yes," said Sir Harry Payne, who was lolling against the railings that
guarded promenaders from a fall over the cliff; and he joined his friend
in gazing at an elegantly-appointed britzka which had drawn up at the
side, and at whose door the Master of the Ceremonies was talking to a
very young and pretty woman. "Yes; deuced pretty woman, May Burnett.
What a shame that little wretch Frank should get hold of her."
"Egad, but it was a good thing for her. I say, Harry, weren't you sweet
upon her?"
"I never tell tales out of school, Matt. 'Fore George, how confoundedly
my head aches this morning."
Just then the Master of the Ceremonies drew back, raising his hat with
the greatest of politeness to the lady, and waving his cane to the
coachman, who drove off, the old man going in the other direction
muttering to himself, but proud and happy, while the carriage passed the
two bucks, who raised their hats and were rewarded with the sweetest of
smiles from a pair of very innocent, girlish-looking little lips, their
owner, aptly named May, being a very blossom of girlish prettiness and
dimpled innocency.
"Gad, she is pretty," said Sir Matthew Bray. "Come along, old lad.
Let's see if Drelincourt or anyone else is on the pier."
"Aha! does the wind blow that way, Matt? Why were you not there to save
the dog?"
"Wind? what way?" said the big, over-dressed dandy, raising his
eyebrows.
"Ha--ha--ha! come, come!" cried Sir Harry, touching his friend in the
side with the gold knob of his cane, "how innocent we are;" and, taking
Sir Matthew's arm, they strolled on towards the pier.
"I didn't ask you who the note was for that we left at Mother Clode's,"
said Sir Matthew sulkily.
"No; neither did I ask you where yours came from--you Goliath of foxes,"
laughed Sir Harry. "But I say. 'Fore George, it was on mourning paper,
and was scented with musk. Ha--ha--ha!"
Sir Matthew scowled and grumbled, but the next moment the incident was
forgotten, and both gentlemen were raising their ugly beaver hats to
first one and then another of the belles they passed.
Meanwhile the britzka was driven on along the Parade, and drew up at the
house of the Master of the Ceremonies, where the footman descended from
his seat beside the coachman, and brought envious lodging-letters to the
windows on either side by his tremendous roll of the knocker and peal at
the bell.
Isaac appeared directly.
Yes, Miss Denville was in, so the steps were rattled down, and Mrs
Frank Burnett descended lightly, rustled up to the front door, and
entered with all the hauteur of one accustomed to a large income and
carriage calling.
"Ah, Claire darling!" she cried, as she was shown into the drawing-room;
"how glad I shall be to see you doing this sort of thing. Really, you
know, it is time."
"Ah, May dear," said Claire, kissing her sister affectionately, but with
a grave pained look in her eyes, "I am so glad to see you. I was
wishing you would come. Papa will be so disappointed: he has gone up
the town to see the tailor about Morton."
"What, does that boy want new clothes again? Papa did not say so."
"Have you seen him, then?"
"Yes. How well he looks. But why did you want to see me?"
For answer Claire took her sister's hand, led her to the chintz-covered
sofa, and seated herself beside her, with her arm round May's waist.
"Oh, do be careful, Claire," said Mrs Burnett pettishly; "this is my
lute-string. And, my dear, how wretchedly you do dress in a morning."
"It is good enough for home, dear, and we are obliged to be so careful.
May dear, I hardly like to ask you, but could you spare me a guinea or
two?"
"Spare you a guinea or two? Why, bless the child! what can you want
with a guinea or two?"
"I want it for Morton. There are several things he needs so much, and I
want besides to be able to let him have a little pocket-money when he
asks."
"Oh, really, I cannot, Claire. It is quite out of the question. Frank
keeps me so dreadfully short. You would never believe what trouble I
have to get a few guineas from him when I am going out, and there is so
much play now that one is compelled to have a little to lose. But I
must be off. I have some shopping to do, and a call or two to make
besides. Then there is a book to get at Miss Clode's. I won't ask you
to come for a drive this morning."
"No, dear, don't. But stay a few minutes; I have something to say to
you."
"Now, whatever can you have to say, Claire dear? Nothing about that--
that--oh, don't, pray. I could not bear it. All the resolution I had
was needed to come here at all, and, as I told you in my letter, it was
impossible for me to come before. Frank would not let me."
"I want to talk to you very--very seriously."
"About that dreadful affair?"
"No," said Claire, with a curiously solemn look coming over her face,
and her voice assuming a deep, tragic tone.
"Then it is about--oh, Claire!" she cried passionately, as she glanced
up at a floridly painted portrait of herself on the wall; "I do wish you
would take that picture down."
"Why should you mind that? You know papa likes it."
"Because it reminds me so of the past."
"When you were so weak and frivolous with that poor fellow Louis."
"Now I did not come here to be scolded," cried the childlike little
thing passionately. "I don't care. I did love poor Louis, and he'd no
business to go away and die."
"Hush, hush, May, my darling," said Claire, with a pained face. "I did
not scold you."
"You did," sobbed the other; "you said something about Louis, and that
you had something to talk to me about. What is it?" she cried with a
look of childish fright in her eyes. "What is it?" she repeated, and
she clung to her sister excitedly.
"Hush, hush, May, I was not going to scold, only to talk to you."
"It will keep, I'm sure," cried May, with the scared look intensifying.
"No, dearest, it will not keep, for it is something very serious--so
serious that I would not have our father know it for the world."
"Lack-a-day, Claire," cried Mrs Burnett, with assumed mirth forming
pleasant dimples in her sweet childish face, "what is the matter?"
"I wanted to say a few words of warning to you, May dear. You know how
ready people are to gossip?"
"Good lack, yes, indeed they are. But what--?" she faltered, "what--?"
"And several times lately they have been busy with your name."
"With my name!" cried Mrs Burnett, with a forced laugh, and a sigh of
relief.
"Yes, dear, about little bits of freedom, and--and--I don't like to call
it coquetry. I want you, dearest, to promise me that you will be a
little more staid. Dear May, it pains me more than I can say."
"Frump! frump! frump! Why you silly, weak, quakerish old frump, Claire!
What nonsense to be sure! A woman in my position, asked out as I am to
rout, and kettledrum, and ball, night after night, cannot sit mumchance
against the wall, and mumble scandal with the old maids. Now, I wonder
who has been putting all this in your head?"
"I will not repeat names, dear; but it is some one whom I can trust."
"Then she is a scandalous old harridan, whoever she is," cried Mrs
Burnett with great warmth. "And what do you know about such matters?"
"I know it pains me to hear that my dear sister's name is mentioned
freely at the officers' mess, and made a common toast."
"Oh, indeed, madam; and pray what about yours? Who is talked of at
every gathering, and married to everyone in turn?"
"I know nothing of those things," said Claire coldly.
"Ah, well, all right; but, I say, when's it to be, Claire? Don't
fribble away this season. I hear of two good opportunities for you;
and--oh, I say, Claire, they do tell me that a certain gentleman said--a
certain very high personage--that you were--"
"Shame, sister!" cried Claire, starting up as if she had been stung.
"How can you--how dare you, speak to me like that?"
"Hoity-toity! What's the matter, child?"
"Child!" cried Claire indignantly. "Do you forget that you have always
been as a child to me--my chief care ever since our mother died? Oh,
May, May, darling, this is not like you. Pray--pray be more guarded in
what you say. There, dearest, I am not angry; but this light and
frivolous manner distresses me. You are Frank Burnett's honoured wife--
girl yet, I know; but your marriage lifts you at once to a position
amongst women, and these light, flippant ways sit so ill upon one like
you."
"Oh, pooh! stuff! you silly, particular old frump!" cried May sharply.
"Do you suppose that a married woman is going to be like a weak, prudish
girl? There, there, there; I did not come to quarrel, and I won't be
scolded. I say, they tell me that handsome Major Rockley is likely to
throw himself away on Cora Dean."
"Oh, May, May, my darling!"
"You are a goose not to catch him in your own net."
"Major Rockley?"
"Yes; he is rich and handsome. I wish I'd had him instead of Frank."
"May, dear May!"
"Oh, I know: it's only talk. But, I say, dear, have you heard about old
Drelincourt? So shocking! In mourning, too. They say she is mad to
marry some one. There, good-bye. Don't crush my bonnet. Oh, of
course; yes, I'm going to be as prudish as you, and so careful. Well,
what is it?"
"May, you cannot deceive me; you have something on your mind."
"I? Nonsense! Absurd!"
"You were going to tell me something; to ask me to help you, I am sure."
"Well--perhaps--yes," said the little thing, with scarlet face. "But
you frightened me out of it. I daren't now. Next time. Good-bye;
good-bye; good-bye."
She rattled these last words out hastily, kissed her sister, and
hurried, in a strangely excited manner, from the room.
Claire watched the carriage go, and then sank back out of sight in a
chair, to clasp her hands upon her knees, and gaze before her with a
strangely old look upon her beautiful face.
For there was trouble, not help, to be obtained from the wilful, girlish
wife who had so lately left her side.
Volume One, Chapter XIII.